Motor vehicles, such as trucks, cars, and other automobiles equipped with an automatic transmission typically include a shifter for changing between available gear selections. Typical gears in an automatic transmission vehicle include park (P), reverse (R), neutral (N), drive (D), and low gears (1, 2). The shifter connects to a shifter lever, which connects to the motor vehicle transmission by a suitable mechanical and/or electronic operating linkage to effect actuation of the transmission to the selected gear when the shifter is pivoted to the transmission gear's representative position.
One drawback that automatic transmission vehicles face is the ability to easily put the car in neutral and allow the wheels to move freely when the car is turned off. In certain circumstances, such as when towing a vehicle, it is necessary that the wheels be able to move freely without constraints from the transmission. One solution that has been developed to overcome this issue is a park gear release. The park gear release releases the connection between the wheels and the transmission to allow the wheels to turn freely. However, park gear release systems face several different design constraints and issues.
One issue that such release systems have is providing an easily workable release handle while still keeping the design safe. For example, release handle must be accessible to users, but needs to also be safely arranged to prevent accidental activation of the release. For that reason, it may be beneficial for the handle to be stored in a separate compartment and/or locked until used.
A second issue that arises for park release systems is difficulty with installation. The park release typically includes a cable that runs from the handle to the release connection. The cable may be moved in a first direction to release the transmission connection when the handle is moved to a release position. The cable may then be moved back in the opposite direction to reengage the transmission connection when the handle is moved back to the engage position.
Accordingly, the cable must run from the handle, which is accessible in the cab of the vehicle, to the transmission connection. However, running the cable during assembly can be difficult due to parts and components that may block the cable's path. Additionally, changing out the cable or other parts of the system may be difficult as running the cable after assembly of the vehicle is exceedingly challenging.
For these reasons, an improved parking gear release system is needed.